Greyspace
by Oran T
Summary: There is no light, and there is no dark. In a galaxy far from the one we know, corrupt businessmen and ambitious nobles battle each other in a game of intrigue for power and influence. The Jedi we know are broken. Those few who remain have but two choices: to either abandon their code of morals and become the new pawns for civil war or perish into history like the Jedi before them.


**A/N: Hey guys, it's Oran T here. Was recently really inspired by the star wars movies so I thought I'd give it a shot at writing a story myself. Hope you all enjoy and if you have any questions, feel free to ask me either in a PM or in the comments section! Oh, and I do not own anything, all rights go to Disney/LucasArts. And without furhter ado...**

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 **Greyspace: Episode I**

 **It is a period of economic strife. The Star system notoriously named after the corrupt businessman, Xavier Lune, is struggling underneath his ridiculous aristocracy.**

 **The people of the Lune system banded together to form a resistance force entitled to grant economic freedom to the middle class and end the horrid monopoly Lune has placed upon them.**

 **With a master plan, General Landon Moore has dispatched a retired star-pilot by the name of Virko Nadd on a top-secret mission to the Planet of Vulcos to help strike the first blow in the war that is soon to come…**

* * *

 **~Virko Nadd~**

 **Stardate 2234**

 **Raxis System**

* * *

"They say you're a retired star pilot."

"Lesser businesses will tell you what you want to hear. They don't really have a choice, since you bully all of them around like mindless sheep."

"Admiral, raise the level of shock treatment for our guest. I wouldn't want him to miss out on the thrill of an _electric_ time - no, don't stop yet, not until he winces - ah… yes… good. Do you know why, Mr. Nadd, I keep my face concealed?"

"Probably because it's so damn ugly…"

"I do it because I believe that faces, and all the expressions that come with them, are the biggest link to showing weakness. Love, hate, pain, happiness, sadness, anger… all betray our inner feelings, our deeper confines that we tend to share with those we trust."

Virko peered across the room. The caped silhouette stood like a statue in front of the blast doors, unmoving. Light from the hall eclipsed his triangular shape. Only the laser-red hue of the man's visor flared like fire in the dark that was the torture chamber.

"Admiral, our guest looks tired. Would you mind raising the level of the treatment once more?"

A jolt of pain seared across Virko's chest. He had no control over his body as it quivered and spasmed, creating unnatural gestures with his legs and arms.

"Do you see? Even with concealing emotion, you cannot hide the grisled features of your face from me. You _are_ a tired old man. A tired old man who will break for me."

"I've told you once, and I'll tell you again: you've got the wrong guy. I was on a mission to Lune III delivering cargo for Yebon crystals. If you've searched my ship, which happens to be a trade federation ship that Lune Corporations lent me, you'd know that I have my coordinates set for Lune III and have three tons worth of crystals in the engine room."

"Liar." The caped figure walked forward until he was visible under the small coned light that eclipsed over Virko. "Your ship's log said that you departed from Everheart Station on Hannesa. If you wanted to go to Lune III, you would not have gone this way, through the asteroid field, Korin's Teeth."

"I wanted to avoid the space pirates… they've been harassing a lot of Raxis' trade shipments on the main trade routes through the system… especially from Lune III to the outer rim planets… as I'm sure you know."

The dark figure, contrary to what Virko imagined, looked more like an armored knight of some sort. Spiked black pauldrons flanked each of his shoulders, and a chest plate etched with small patterns that glowed red-hot walled his chest. Two silver swords hung from either side of his waist on his belt, and a winged helmet replaced the face he would have seen, with its visor gleaming as bright as the patterns on his chest. "Still unable to cooperate, I see."

He raised his hand, garbed in black leather. "I don't usually use this, but if you are unwilling to cooperate, Mr. Nadd, you leave me no choice."

"What are you talki-"

 _Pain._ It seared across his head, echoing with a brutal aftertaste in every limb of his body. He tried to fight it, tried to keep control of his body, but the more he fought, the worse it got.

"Like I said: You will break for me."

"What kind of sorcer-"

"Oh, no sorcery. Technology." The inquisitor raised his hand to reveal his palm. A tiny red crystal winked at him. "My armor is special. It not only helps me rid the galaxy of the gallant jedi, but also syncs with the force crystals I find in their precious lightsabers… granting me protection from it, and, well, from time to time, if I need to, a use for it."

Virko gasped for air. His skull felt like it was starting to cave in on itself.

"You will tell me what your original mission was."

"N-never…"

"Otherwise you will die."

 _No,_ he thought. _Not yet._ There was still use for him, as old as he was. And it was going to start with blowing this ship sky high.

The gloved hand touched his forehead, and he screamed. Images of his past life flashed before his eyes. "Wh-what you're looking for… it's not here." He weakly smiled.

The armored man hesitated for a second. "What are you talking about?"

"I know what it feels like to have your mind prodded by the force… it won't work… not from someone as weak with it as you."

The man reached for the silver sword hanging at his belt. "You little, _insignificant_ …"

 _Broooooooooodoooom._ The ship belched a bellow that quivered the walls and floor. Virko laughed. _This was it._ He was going to go down in history as the one who blew up a whole Lune Federation ship single-handedly. _Booooooodroooooom._

The armored man looked shocked for a second before he turned again to Virko. _Time to say my farewells,_ he thought, gathering his fingers into clenching fists.

A voice rang from the hallway. "Sir!" The clamp of several leather boots on the ground set Virko off shaking.

"What is it, Captain?"

"A resistance fleet, just on the other side of Vulcos… I prepared the necessary arrangements for engagement, but they outnumber us."

"Good, they fell for it then. Issue battle stations ready. I'll not be long."

"Yes sir."

Virko's laughter fell short. _What was going on? Was that not the detonation?_

The armored man seemed to take note of his confused state. "We sent out a distress signal from your ship, Mr. Nadd," he said with a chuckle. "Didn't think we'd be able to hack into your comms system? My engineers are the best in the galaxy. Was it because of your jedi friend's plea for help that you came? You must have been aware that he was seeking refuge on _Vulcos_ , otherwise you wouldn't have made this much of a roundabout trip to Lune III. I'll make sure to inform Lord Lune of his stolen shipment of Yebon crystals, though… expensive minerals, they are."

 _A jedi?_ The jedi didn't meddle in affairs such as rebellions, he knew that much. The last time he saw a jedi was when he was just a boy. They were a dying breed.

Virko squirmed in his bounds. "Okay, you've got me… they wanted me to be abducted by you so that I could survey your ship… find its weakest link. But it wasn't because of a Jedi. My comrades just knew that a Lune Federation ship had been docked in the atmosphere of Vulcos for some time… they wanted a chance to strike."

"You're telling the truth about the Jedi," the inquisitor said. "But about you surveying the ship… that is a lie. They didn't intend for you to leave the ship."

Virko felt pain grip at his old muscles and he cried out.

"You are trying to conceal something in that ship of yours… but what could it be…"

 _No._ He felt his mind slipping. _No, no please… control, Virko, you need to have control._ His body was already frail, so his mind was the only thing keeping the information from him. _Just keep holding on until it detonates…_ _NO!_

"Ah…" the knight shifted. "A bomb… more specifically, a time bomb. You had been meaning to keep us busy until it detonated, didn't you?" He laughed. "You silly old man."

"As for your friends… what they do not know is that I sent word out to the Starstrike Academy and they are sending a fleet in so that we can deal with this resistance scum who boycott the Lune trade agreement and sabotage his routes. You thought you had me in check, Mr. Nadd, but you are just a pawn."

Virko smiled. "That's exactly what I am. Pawns are often overlooked because they are considered the weakest piece on the board. But pawns can take down even the greatest of kings." He felt the hesitant silence from the inquisitor and took advantage of it. "By the time you find the bomb, it'll be too late. Lune's most valued federation ship will have crashed onto the surface of Vulcos, you and I along with it."

The knight rose abruptly. "You fool. I have good men searching your ship… experts. I had a feeling it would be some kind of trick. It's only a matter of time before we have found it and deactivated it."

"And how confident are you, exactly?"

"Enough. It is time for you to die, and for us to capture this fleet of mavericks and put an end to them once and for al-"

The ship took a nasty turn that transformed the ceiling into the ground.

 _The bomb,_ Virko thought, jumping against his leather bindings. _It detonated._

"You see," Virko explained, "it wasn't something that was specifically in the ship… so if you had your men searching just the ship, you would've missed it."

Another explosion rattled the ship as it turned again, tossing the inquisitor and his admiral to another wall. Virko, as he was bolted down to the floor, looked up at them. "Did you happen to run a maintenance check on my T3-43 unit? If so, that's what would have set off the detonation."

The ship grumbled again and they all were thrown to the other wall. "The general was the one who actually thought it wasn't going to work," Virko said. "I proved him wrong, didn't I?"

The inquisitor and the admiral seemed to ignore him now; the dark armored officer crawled for the exit as his admiral clumsily scurried after him. The intercom had turned on, repeating the words " _OXYGEN BREACH, GRAVITY STABILIZERS DETERIORATING, SEEK ESCAPE POD IMMEDIATELY."_

He struggled against the bindings, trying to reach into his pants for his vibrodagger. The Lune maintenance checks were thorough, but not completely thorough… and he had guessed perfectly what place they had not checked.

He reached again and again, to no avail, but with renewed vigor. With every attempt he got closer, and even the strain it put on his arm was deafened to the sweet taste of victory.

"Come on…" his fingers were now brushing up against the tip of the hilt, but they were not far enough yet to grab it securely. He didn't want to grab it too soon for fear of pushing it down even further. " _Come on…"_ the next attempt was better, he was able to wrap his index and middle finger around them, but still not enough for him to feel safe pulling it up.

He squirmed and cursed as the ship took another turn. The intercom kept blaring. _OXYGEN BREACH, GRAVITY STABILIZERS DETERIORATING, SEEK ESCAPE POD IMMEDIATELY._

 _Focus, Virko._ He closed his eyes sharply and tried to block out all noise. It was then that he felt the echo of the pain from the interrogation. _Deep breaths..._ He reached down, breathing deeply, before letting the ship maneuver his fingers. He breathed in again. The heavy stench of iron filled his nostrils, and the lights on the several panels around the room poked red patches of irritating light through his eyelids.

 _Be still… deep breaths._ As he inhaled once more, a calmness took over him. He let his body still as the ship moved again, pushing the hilt of the dagger straight into his palm.

 _Yes!_ He took it quickly and snapped the leather bindings off. _OXYGEN BREACH, GRAVITY STABILIZERS DETERIORATING, SEEK ESCAPE POD IMMEDIATELY._ He stumbled over his feet as he ran to the exit, stealing a blaster sitting over one of the counters.

 _OXYGEN BREACH, GRAVITY STABILIZERS DETERIORATING, SEEK ESCAPE POD IMMEDIATELY._

"I get it," he snapped, peering from out of the torture chamber and into the hallways. _Which way were the escape pods?_ He had no knowledge of the ship's layout at all. He cursed, turning back into the room, and started to walk-

This crash knocked his head into the latch for the door. He slumped to the ground as the door closed behind him.

And then, silence and darkness.

* * *

… He awoke with pain seared across his forehead and to a loud, immense beeping. Trying to find the source of the beeping, he stumbled, coughing, against a red panel of letters towards the end of the room. _OXYGEN ALERT, PUT ON LIFE MASK IMMEDIATELY._

Finding his footing once more and coughing even louder, he instinctively reached into the glass case and drew out the life mask, strapping it over his face. Feeling overwhelmed, he pushed the hatch that he had smashed his head into, and rolled out into a field of bright green, underneath a sky blanketed with gray clouds. Heat immediately attacked him. His nostrils were filled with the deep smell of newly furbished plasticware, and his eye was stinging, where blood dripped in from his cut.

He readjusted his orange jumpsuit and unstrapped the white armored overalls. The planet was too humid to keep wearing such thick clothing. Stepping over large plants, he finally fell to a knee, looking around, graciously drinking up the oxygen his life mask was providing.

Dense jungle surrounded him. In the distance, a volcano loomed over both him and it, smoke billowing from its hungry maw. _Of all the places in the galaxy, why did Lune Corporations have an interest in this kind of planet?_

As the final cloud drifted away from the jungle and exposed the heat of the sun, he caught a wink of silver light in his eye. Turning that way, he spotted something amidst the jungle thick… something small, delved deep in the tall grasses. He slowly approached, hoping it was not a land mine. He reached down grimacing…

Only to grasp his fingers around a small steel handle with a red, ornate button. Picking it up with ease, he examined it further. His eyes were still sensitive from the impact of the pod. He turned it around, looking at it, and wrapped his other gloved hand around the handle. It was unnaturally cool; he could feel it through his dense, heat-sensitive gear. Rolling his thumb around the red button, he gently pressed inward.

A stream of bright gold jutted from the other end of the steel handle, humming a profuse tune as he jumped back. The jet of gold-yellow light bled onto the green leaves and tall grasses of the jungle, giving them now a murky yellow tint to them.

He frowned slightly, at first, and then realized, feeling himself tremble as his eye started stinging again. This was no land mine.

It was a lightsaber.


End file.
